By now, you should know better than to pick at a pimple, fall asleep with makeup on, or go to the gym without having washed your face first. But, there are some secret skin sabotagers you may not yet know about — ones that you’re probably guilty of. Banish breakouts and get smooth skin by cutting these bad habits out of your life for good!

Dirty pillowcase: How often do you wash your sheets and change out your pillowcases? Chances are, not often enough. To prevent breakouts from dirt and oil housed on your pillowcase, make sure to swap it out for a clean one every two to three days.

Cellphone usage: We know you’ve noticed the film of makeup left on your cell after getting off a call.Germs, oil and your foundation are also hanging out on your cell screen. Be sure to wipe down and disinfect your handy phone before pressing it up against your cheek and swap the screen protector for a new one every few months.

Over-buffing skin: Whether it’s using your handy Clarisonic all too often or your fave exfoliant on the daily, scrubbing your skin too much can do more harm than good. Too much of anything is never a good thing, right? Using your facial brush at nighttime is ideal since you want to wash away impurities from the day and scrubbing with a manual exfoliant twice a week is more than enough — any more and you could cause some serious irritation.

Drinking too much alcohol: We know it’s tough to hear, but this fun pastime causes dehydration of the skin. That’s why you don’t look so pretty with a hangover — so maybe say “no thanks” to that second drink?

Not enough water: Less alcohol, more water! Drinking at least eight glasses of water a day will keep skin looking hydrated, fresh and glowing … because we already know how dehydrated skin looks and it ain’t pretty.

Your diet: You’ve heard it before — you are what you eat. Maintaining a healthy diet is key to vibrant, younger-looking skin. Filling your diet with leafy greens and these8 food skin fixes is just as important as the creams you apply topically.

Scalding hot showers: While they may feel good, hot showers aren’t doing your skin any favors. Turning up the heat essentially sucks the moisture out from your skin, leaving you with a dry and cracked complexion. Lukewarm water is the way to go, and apply your moisturizer right when you step out!

Are you guilty of any of these skin sabotagers? ‘Fess up in the comments below!

Photo: thinkstock

.

Comments

About the Author:Diana creates on-trend beauty content for Makeup.com readers. She stays up-to-date on the latest beauty news and product launches and tests every makeup item that comes through the door. As an employee of L’Oréal, Diana writes stories about beauty products across the entire brand portfolio.